Method of producing chocolate-coated confections



Oct. 27 192s.

J. R. FRANZEN METHOD OF PRODUCING CHOCOLATE COATED CONFECTIONS.

Filed Nov. is, 1924 Inventor. Juhus Rfianzen.

l tango. v

Mental. Sci. 27, 1925.

D STATES I 1,559,412 PATENT OFFICE.

313?! 582 ll. .FRANZEN, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO ERNEST WILSON. 01: PALO ALTO, CALIFQRNIA.

.QJTHOD OF PRODUCING CHOCQLATE-COATED CONFECTIONS.

Application filed November 33, 1924.

ii ii/10714, ii: 1mg comer-1.:

i; lrninvn that l, J ULlUS R. l mmznn, n hunch o5 Jhe United States, residing in mu .onnty of San Francisco and fliolii un, have invented new and he l ll improvements in Methods of Produc- .ihg (.Jlmcolate-lioatool Confections, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the coating of edihles with chocolate, and is a substitution for and continuation in part of my applicalion, Serial Number 689,164, liled January 28, 1924.

Prior to my invention, chocolate coating could not. he su-iici sslully applied by means of revolving pan. known in the trade as ll ragec machines, owing to the fact that the cl'lorolnte noted lo form a more or less solid mass, and caused the centers or nuclei to stick together. The usual przwtice, therefore, was to (lip the centers or nuclei by haml, which is a slow and expensive process, or to coat them with an enrohing llllllfllllll}, which latter is a rather on nrnsive mochunisni, and requires a large inwslmi-ni;

In and by the present inw-nti n l mu enabled to successfully apply chm-Male routin; to ciiihle centers or nuclei, using ii vol ring; lllll or Drageo niiu'hima and therefore shah-ling the productionv to he carried out in large qimntilies and at small cost.

Numerous es perii'ncnis have lecn {mule to SlllfLUSSflTll font Hinl'cci'ions with chocolate in a revolt no: pun. Une such uttempl contemplates lho introduction of :1 povulormlv substance in. frequent intervals while the mass is being tumbled, lo keep the objects separated. Such a methoil can he applied surwssl'ully to the coating of pillwith ninterizii other than chocolate. or lo apply nu udullcrnteil chocolate cooling; in candies: lull it can not he used to produce {l pure chooolate cooling, unless proper regard he paid to temperature conditions, slurrif a pure powilorml chocolate, containing cocoa iiullor, b0 uswl, the powrloroil choc late under high temperature quickly melts. owing lo the PlUrGllCG of the fat therein. unil simpl 11;:- gzrzu'ntes the condition sought-lo be remedied. namely, to prevent the coon-(l particles fr; n sti icing together and to prevent the mac -s "from sticking to the pan.

My experiments have shown that there is a ilennite relationship hotwom the rate of applying the melted chocolate and the Serial No. 749,582.

rate of cooling, which seems to have been generally overlooked. If the volume of llltllttl chocolate applied to the centers or nuclei in the revolving vessel be out of proportion to the rate of hardening, there will accumulate in the vessel a sticky mass of suchstrength to bind. the mentors 0r nuclei together. However, if the application of the melted ohooolule be relatively slow and gradual, and the rule of hardening be properly proportioned therewith, as by artificial cooling of the contents of the vessel, the centers will acquire a proper coating of chocolate without danger of sticking together; that is to say, the adhesiveness of fhechocolalc becomes less in direct proportion to the decrease in temperature. Conditions of humidity also enter in, as will he pointed out hereinafter.

My invention may be carried out with it variety of ilillerent forms of apparatus, and in the accompanying drawing 1 show merely for the purpose of illustration a revolving pan or vessel of the Dragon type, fitted with suitable air pipes for pruclising my invention.

Referring in detail lo the apparatus shown in llll' accompanying: drawing, it comprises a pan supported on an inclined slml't U, which latter is slowly rotated by n Iziolor [2 through suilahle worm gearing 13.

As it means of accelerating cooling" of the contents of the rivvolving pan or vessel, show a pipe 14 having an adjustable nozzle 15 for introducing cold air into the vessel and directing it onto the contents of the vessel.

In practising my invention, candies, fruit, nails. Hill ho like. which are to be coated with chocolate, are placed in the vessel aml llw latter is rovolvoil so as to cause the pieces to roll over each other. 'lhoreafter. melted chocolate is applied to the renters or nuclei slowly and gradually. This may he rlono by spraying. smearing on with {he lmml or snilahlo utensil. or by pouring the chocolate very slowly into the pan. The loniporahire of the revolving pun should he maintained r'low that temperature at which lhe choc0- lute will hurilon. before any appreciable mass of chocolate in molten condition can accumulate in the pun. 'Ihv temperature at which chocolate will harden is approxiniatelv 70 Fahrenheit. It will harden more rapidly at lower temperatures, and

7 therefore to obtain satisfactory results under the present process, temperatures well below 70 Fahrenheit should be maintained within the pan.

()rdinarily the temperature in the room in which the process is being carried on will be much higher than is necessary to obtain rapid hardening of the coating. and therefore 1 provide means for reducing the temperature to the desired point. This means may take a variety of forms, such as a coldair pipe or a water-jacket for the revolving vessel. However, I prefer to employ cold air, and in the present form of the device the pipe 14 is connected with a suitable source of cold air supply having a temperature of or lower. Such pipe is provided with a suitable controlling; valve, and. cold air is directed onto the contents of the pan during the time the centers are being coated.

It is desirable in confections of the kind herein referred to, to apply a gloss or glaze to the chocolate-coated pieces.

I find that by using the apparatus herein shown, with means for maintaining a low temperature in the vessel, for applying the glaze, a high degree of gloss can be imparted to the surface. This is done by moistening the chocolate-coated objects with a suitable coni'ectionefs glaze, and then by subjecting the contents of the pan to reduced temperature the glaze quickly dries and does not rub oil.

Sometimes I lind it desirable to introduce warm air into the rcvohing pan just prior to applying the glaze, in order to remove excess moisture which may he present after the chocolate coating opt-ration. Any suit able means may be provided for introducing warm air. and in the present arrangement. l show a pipe it) connected with a suitable source of supply, \\'lll't. a jet of warm air may be directed into the \es sel. Ordinarily this warm air need not be used, except when humid conditions prcvail Within the vessel, and then only for a brief period of time, just prior to the glazing operation.

Confections made in this manner are-not so easily deformed or marred as is the ordinary chtwolate-emttcd product. Usually, chocolate-coata-d candies must be carefully packed, with ea-"h layer proc trd from the other. llowev-i'. the andies watt-d by the present invention can be p 'rtl loosely in boxes, pails, and other containers, without danger oi becoming scratch l or t ct'ormeal, inasmuch as the chocolate coating, by -rt.'a son of the rolling and tumbling to which it has been subjected in the rcvolvbu pan. becomes compa t and hard.

A further advantage hi in mode if coal ing confec ion is that i can, if desired. produce a r ugh and irregular chocolate surface, notwithstanding that the center itself may be entirely smooth. Thus, as an example, I have coated pine-nuts so as to leave a rough and irregular surface somewhat resembling the texture of a pine-cone. This is accomplished by using such low temperatures within the vessel that the chocolate will harden on the centers or nuclei before the mass has been tumbled long enough to evenly distribute the chocolate on the centers.

As above pointed out, various forms of devices may be employed for obtaining ne desired low temperature within the revolving vessel, and in many instances if the temperature of the room be subject to carv ful regulation no additional means would be required.

\Vhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A method of producing chocolatecoated confections which consists of placing the objects to be coated in a revolving vessel, rotating the vessel to cause the objec... to roll over each other, applying melted chocolate gradually over said objects, and subjecting the contents of the vessel to atexn pcrature below Fahrenheit, whereby to bring about hardening of the chocolate before a ball or mass forms in the vessel such as would interfere with free rolling of the individual pieces.

2. The method of producing chocolateeoated confections which consists of placing the objects to be coated in a revolving vessel, rotating the vessel to cause the ohjects to roll over each other, applying meltcd chocolate gradually over said objects, subjecting the contents of the vessel to a temperature below T l ahrenheit. whereby to bring about rapid hardening of the chocolate. and thereafter applvin; confectioners glaze over said coated object's, while sti l inaintaining a reduced temperature within the vessel.

A method of coating confections, which consists in introducing the centers or nuclei to be coated in a revolving vessel, gradually and slowly applying melted chocolate to the objects to be coated, and simultaneously introducing cold air to said vessci, to bring about a sufiiciently rapid hardening of the chocolate to prevent a ball or mass of chocolate from forming in the ve sel.

l. A nietlmd of producing cl1ocolatccoated confections, which consists in introdue inn the centers or nuclei to be coated in a revolving vessel, gradually and slowly up p yin; melted chocolate to said objects, and maintaining a temperature within the vcs- :-i sullicientlv low to cause rapid harden n! of the chocolate as it accumulates on the individual pieces.

a. A method of producing chocolate-coatlltl ed confections, which consists in introducing the centers or nuclei to be coated in a revolving vessel, gradually and slowly applying melted chocolate to said objects, maintaining a temperature within the vessel sufiiciently low to cause rapid hardening of the chocolate as it accumulates on the individual pieces, removing excessive moisture from the ves'sel after the pieces have been coated with chocolate, and thereafter applying 'a confectioners glaze to the 10 chocolate-coated pieces and agam reducing the temperature within the vessel to insure 4 rapid drying of the glazing material.

JULIUS V R. FRAN ZEN. 

